Ethel May Riley Phegley was born in Ohio on January 14, 1895. By 1930 Ethel was the wife of Milter Phegley and a resident of Placerville, CA. She was active in the local art scene and with the Shakespeare Club. She died there on August 16, 1980. Her work includes oils, watercolors and tiles.(Edan Hughes, "Artists in California, 1786-1940")